Vol 68, No 3 (2009)
Original article
Submitted: 2012-02-06
Published online: 2009-05-13
The effect of fasting on the ultrastructure of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in young rats
J. Kubasik-Juraniec, N. Knap
Folia Morphol 2009;68(3):113-118.
Vol 68, No 3 (2009)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Submitted: 2012-02-06
Published online: 2009-05-13
Abstract
In the present study, we described ultrastructural changes occurring in the
neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus after food deprivation. Young
male Wistar rats (5 months old, n = 12) were divided into three groups. The
animals in Group I were used as control (normally fed), and the rats in Groups
II and III were fasted for 48 hours and 96 hours, respectively. In both treated
groups, fasting caused rearrangement of the rough endoplasmic reticulum forming
lamellar bodies and membranous whorls. The lamellar bodies were rather
short in the controls, whereas in the fasting animals they became longer and
were sometimes participating in the formation of membranous whorls composed
of the concentric layers of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The whorls
were often placed in the vicinity of a very well developed Golgi complex. Some
Golgi complexes displayed an early stage of whorl formation. Moreover, an
increased serum level of 8-isoprostanes, being a reliable marker of total oxidative
stress in the body, was observed in both fasting groups of rats as compared
to the control.
Abstract
In the present study, we described ultrastructural changes occurring in the
neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus after food deprivation. Young
male Wistar rats (5 months old, n = 12) were divided into three groups. The
animals in Group I were used as control (normally fed), and the rats in Groups
II and III were fasted for 48 hours and 96 hours, respectively. In both treated
groups, fasting caused rearrangement of the rough endoplasmic reticulum forming
lamellar bodies and membranous whorls. The lamellar bodies were rather
short in the controls, whereas in the fasting animals they became longer and
were sometimes participating in the formation of membranous whorls composed
of the concentric layers of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The whorls
were often placed in the vicinity of a very well developed Golgi complex. Some
Golgi complexes displayed an early stage of whorl formation. Moreover, an
increased serum level of 8-isoprostanes, being a reliable marker of total oxidative
stress in the body, was observed in both fasting groups of rats as compared
to the control.
Keywords
arcuate nucleus; fasting; membranous whorls; isoprostanes
Title
The effect of fasting on the ultrastructure of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in young rats
Journal
Folia Morphologica
Issue
Vol 68, No 3 (2009)
Article type
Original article
Pages
113-118
Published online
2009-05-13
Page views
497
Article views/downloads
1640
Bibliographic record
Folia Morphol 2009;68(3):113-118.
Keywords
arcuate nucleus
fasting
membranous whorls
isoprostanes
Authors
J. Kubasik-Juraniec
N. Knap